When I was approached by Ed Drum to join AITP in the summer of
2012, he was so excited to talk about his experience at the NCC (National
Collegiate Conference) 2012. It was as if this conference was the highlight of
joining AITP. So I joined in the summer of 2012, knowing that I wanted to get
into the computer field and wanted to get as much exposure as I could.

Not much happened for the rest of the summer until fall semester
started. That's when I went to my first meeting. It was OK; we did not do much
but talk about fund raisers and getting certifications at the NCC. I was a
little turned off, when do we get into the computer work. I joined the club to
learn more about computers. So I thought to myself, give it some time, you
cannot judge a year's worth of experience on one meeting.

As time went
on, and I got involved in the meetings and fund raisers, I started to make new
friends and what I felt was a professional relationship with our two mentors,
Irene Edge and Carolyn Carvalho. It was not known to me at the time, but these
two ladies will have the largest impact in my computer technology experience at
Kent State University. They were more than Professors at the school and mentors
in AITP; they were genuine women who really wanted the students to get the most
out of their time in school and after graduation.

The fund raisers did
more than just raise money for the trip; they seem to have given the whole
experience a sense of worth. One truly does appreciate things more when they
have put the time in to doing it right. A lesson all professionals should
understand and implement.